I Hated Him
by StoryboardMortician
Summary: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.


_**Author's Note: Ok, for anyone who reads Lovely Daydreamers, bare with me. I have like crazy writers block and I'm working on it. So, until then, here's this little bit I put together. Enjoy.**_

* * *

_**I HATED HIM**_

I hated him.

I hated him without even knowing who he was; I didn't know his name, his age, what he sounded like, or his story. All I knew was what he looked like, and that he was the biggest asshole I had ever encountered. Every morning on my way to work at my god aunt's funeral home, I would see him; him and his black Audi, or his purple Lamborghini, even in his yellow, antique Corvette, complete with the black racing stripes across the top. I would know him anywhere with his speed racer style of driving, his smug smile as he would drive next to me, mocking me in my old, rusty blue '95 Toyota Geo Prism, and those large brown eyes with hints of honey gold. His long hair, which seemed blacker then my own ebony locks, was always tied back and brushed against the lightly tanned skin of his strong cheek bones. He was beautiful and I hated him for it; someone who had everything handed to him, mocking those who had to work for a living. He loved it and I despised him, knowing he would never go out of his way to help someone, even if they were dying at his perfectly polished, loafer feet. He was a spoiled, husk of a human being and it made me want to drag him out of his car and spit on him; but I was better than that, better than him. Every morning I would see him, he would drive next to me for a mile or so and then zoom off, cutting off anyone who wasn't going at least 40 miles over the speed limit. For almost a year I saw him day after day, same time, same smile, and that same beautiful face that I hated with more passion than early Monday mornings. I thought I knew him; what he was about and all that he cared about, that was, until that morning where my entire world changed.

* * *

I sat there at the red light I always got caught at, signing my favorite Lupe Fiasco song loudly to myself, hoping that my crappy stereo/CD player – courtesy of eBay – wouldn't start skipping and die on me like it usually did. As the speakers spat out his rhymes and the bass shook the car and rattled my rear view mirror, I saw him; he was in his favorite car, the yellow Corvette. I groaned loudly as I saw him and my sound system skipped and then cut out as a loud crash of thunder shook the car slightly.

"What a lovely start to a beautifully dreary morning," I said sarcastically to myself as a heavy spring storm tore open the grayness of the sky and let loose torrents of rain which pounded my windshield and immediately started flooding the garbage packed sewers; streets became streams and the already swollen river that straddled the edge of the road began to slowly spill over. I smashed my head against my battered steering wheel and prayed that I wouldn't get enough water in my engine or fuel lines to seize up my poor old, navy blue and rust colored baby. I heard the rumbling of his Corvette's powerful engine next to me and I looked over and even through the heavy screen of rain, I could see him. His eyes were smiling to match the usual smug grin he had on his face. I looked away as the light turned green and slowly made my way along the slosh that was once a road; I could hear the hydroplane from his tires hit my door and the growl of his engine as he easily kept up with my sluggish pace.

"Great, like this day couldn't get any worse," I mumbled to myself as I saw "The Pit." It was the absolute epitome of pothole; the hole in the street was once a few small holes that had melted into one another, forming a sink hole of sorts. It was about 2 feet deep and took up my entire right hand lane and half of his left hand lane, and it was hell going over it with my axles and suspension being more than 20 years old. Everyone in front of my was able to switch lanes, but lucky for me, my morning car stalker was right next to me, inhibiting my ability to avoid "The Pit." I cursed, but was inwardly thankful that the light had turned red ahead of me. I stopped a good 3 feet from the ginormous gapping hole, and waited for the light to turn green so I could torture my car some more; rolling over the edges, hitting the rocky, bumpy bottom and then praying some more to not get stuck as I would accelerate out. A bight flash of lightning hit the ground in front of me and I jumped and shielded my face against the purple, white brightness of it; a loud crack of thunder proceeded right after, shaking the ground under my car. I soon realized that it wasn't the thunder that was making the ground shake and I froze, my fingers clutching the steering wheel until they were white; I watched as the ground in front of me collapsed inward into the rapidly enlarging sinkhole that had formed. It soon swallowed the already deep pit and soon the front wheels of my car dipped forward, bringing me out of my fear induced trance. I tore off my seat belt, unlocked my door and made to open the door and jump out, but I was to slow; my car dipped forward and careened off the edge of the sinkhole, crashing into the watery bottom of the 15 foot deep sinkhole that had opened beneath me. My airbags failed to deploy – which would be just my luck – and my head slammed against the steering wheel, nearly knocking me out; the front end of the car crumpled in, pinning my legs against the crushed steering wheel as blood from the gash in my forehead poured blood over my face and into my eyes, blinding me.

"Help," I called meekly as I began to feel bone cold water pour into the car, submerging my feet. My mind screamed at me to fight, but my aching body screamed equally as loud to stay put and wait. Mind over matter is what it really came down to, so I sluggishly tried to pull my legs out from under the crumpled steering column, but they wouldn't budge and I was sure that one, if not both of them were broken. My mind was beginning to clear and I remembered a gift that my younger brother had given me before I had moved to America from Japan; it was a small little pink handled, spring loaded screwdriver. He said that it might come in handy if I needed to tighten my tires or something; I smiled to myself as I thought about him and how he always knew just what I would need. I reached over to the glove box which was thankfully pretty intact and popped it open; the little, cylindrical pink handle rolled out and into my scratched up and bloodied hand. I gripped it tightly and put the hollow handle against the window, my finger poised on the little button on the bottom of the screwdriver; I took a deep breath, ready for the pouring of water into the busted window. The water was up to my breasts by then and although my hands were shaking, I knew that if I sat there any longer, I would drown or freeze to death; I drew in another deep breath and pushed the button. The tip of the screwdriver shattered the window, sending a flood of dirty, murky water right into my face. I dropped the screwdriver and pulled as hard as I could, trying to free my still trapped legs; the world began to dim even more as black dots began to swarm my vision; my lungs screamed for clean air and my arms and legs became heavy and slothful.

"No, not like this damnit, not like this," I thought to myself as I desperately groped for anything outside my shattered window to grab onto, anything to help pry my legs free from my sinking death trap. My murky, bubble filled grave grew greyer and greyer and soon my eyes saw nothing but my floating hand that was also slowly fading from view. As my life faded from me, I saw someone swimming towards me; in a slow blink, they were pulling me free and then the world grew finally dark.

I could feel someone's cold lips against mine and then a heavy pressure on my chest. I felt a surge of water pour into my mouth from my lungs and I instinctively rolled onto my side, vomiting the water onto the wet asphalt under me. I coughed heavily as more water was brought up by my violent hacking, and soon I could breathe again. Such beautiful, smog filled air flooded my burning lungs and I gasped loudly for more as I leaned into the arms of my savior. I breathed in a sweet scent of expensive cologne and shampoo, and I immediately knew whose arms I was resting in. I opened my heavy eyelids and stared straight into a pair of golden eyes; they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen, yet so familiar. The black hood of his DC hoodie covered his flowing white hair which clung to his shadowed, pale face. I was beyond puzzled at that moment. Perhaps it was my head injury, but I could have sworn it was that smug bastard who had saved me; who was this curiously beautiful stranger whose brow was furrowed in obvious worry and whose fluorescent eyes burned with anxiety, but also with relief. I barely heard someone ask if they should call an ambulance, but I did see him shake his head, never breaking eye contact with me.

"I'll take her," he said, his voice breaking a bit as the words escaped his lips. Then I saw the tears in his eyes, at least I thought they were tears; perhaps it was just the rain obscuring my vision and the ringing in my ears that made his voice break the way it did. I felt him lift me and my body went slack in his arms; he had lifted me as if I was nothing more then a piece of wet paper. He cradled me against his soaking wet body, and I could hear his heart beating rapidly under his ribs as my heavy head came to rest on his broad, muscular chest. The rain continued to beat down on us and lightning lit up the sky as he walked to his car; his pace was fast as if he was running, but his strides were calm and long. I looked up at him with just my eyes, never lifting my head. He had a strong, young jaw line and as I gazed at him, he looked down at me, his gilded eyes locking on to mine; I could feel a light blush overtake my cheeks and even though I saw him try to fight back a smile, a little grin parted his lips, and I saw what looked like a fang poke out over their pink edges. I quickly looked down and felt his gaze leave me; I tried to redirect my mind, so I turned my head away from his chest and strong heartbeat towards the street and I saw it; the yellow Corvette with the black body stripes.

"But…" was all I could manage before an overwhelming exhaustion overtook me and I passed out in my strangers stalwart arms.

* * *

My dreams were vivid and strange, yet somehow so familiar . I could see my rich bastard running towards me, arms outstretched and reaching. His long raven hair had fallen out of his usual ponytail and was sweeping behind him in what seemed to be slow motion. I could see myself reach towards him in return, my fingers splayed and stretching, trying to reach him, our fingers nearly brushing. Tears filled my eyes as I smelled his sweet cologne, with new hints of peach tree blossoms, but then the ground rumbled and collapsed beneath me; I plunged into a cold pool of black water that was thick like fresh syrup. I tried to swim, but my arms and legs were like steel weights as they tried to slice through the thick goop, but I sunk further and further into the watery abyss. I saw him dive in after me, but as he dove in, the water dissipated into a white mist that blanketed my body as I fell. I fell faster, watching as colors flew by me as if I had fallen into a box of melting crayons, and I soon hit the bottom of the seemingly endless chasm that had swallowed me. I couldn't stand for my body was broken; I knew that I was dying. My stranger was at my side, holding me against him, his embrace warm and comforting; his golden honey eyes filled with sadness and regret, glittering with such unnatural light enhanced but unfallen tears. I knew him; his handsome face was so familiar. My lost memories of him teetered on the edge of my unconscious, waiting to be pushed over the edge. He was whispering something to me, his voice low and his breath hot and pure against my face; I couldn't hear him. He held me close to his chest, his face in my loose hair as my body hung limply within his hold; his voice filled my departing consciousness and soon I was surrounded by a hot, violet light. I could feel myself calling out for him, saying his name, but I couldn't hear myself. My voice was nothing but a breath of a breeze, cast upon storm swept waters; I needed to know who he was, I needed to know.

I awoke and sat straight up with a scream on my lips and a pounding in my skull. I collapsed back onto the dark gold pillows under my head and brought my hand to my aching head; I felt soft bandages covering my forehead and the large laceration on it. I groaned as the ache in my skull increased momentarily, and I closed my eyes until it ceased. I savored the feel of the soft, large mattress under me and the smells of the room; what a cushy hospital I thought to myself as I slowly opened my heavy eyelids. My eyes began to focus and I soon realized that I had no idea where I was; this was no hospital. The room I was lying in was beyond big; it could have fit 5 of my one bedroom apartments in it. This spectacularly mammoth room came complete with a large, bay window that was covered at the moment with dark violet curtains with silver trim. From as far as I could see with my head on my pillow, it also had a large, double door closet and there was a matching furniture set. There was a silver half couch complete with a single mauve pillow, and then there was a large, deep amethyst armchair with a single silver pillow, which now lay at the foot of the chair. Even from my limited range of vision, I saw that there was someone in the chair, slumped over and obviously fast asleep. My head began to pound again, so I relaxed under the soft, silk, sheets that covered my body. They caressed my bare skin and I smiled, until I realized that it was caressing my _**BARE**_ skin. I yanked up the lavender sheets and saw that someone had indeed taken me out of my wet clothes, bandaged my cut and bruised legs, and then laid me out on this beautiful bed in this gorgeous room. I dropped the sheets back over me and felt a blush of anger, but also of embarrassment flood my cheeks; my Corvette driving stranger, or that Corvette driving bastard, had to have fixed me up which means they had to have seen me bare to the world. Sitting up a bit too quickly - the blood rushed to my head and made the world spin out of control in front of me, causing me to nearly empty what little was in my stomach all over the nice, hardwood floors – I wrapped the silk sheet around my body and scooted myself to the edge of my bed, dangling my numb legs over the sides. I could feel the cool, maple hardwood against my toes and so I pushed myself up and out of bed; I didn't make it more than a few feet before my legs gave out from under me and I went crashing heavily to the floor. The sheet that was wrapped around me came loose and landed on top of me, covering me completely as I rested my bandaged head against the floor.

"Stupid slippery floors…" I grumbled as I reached up and lifted the sheet off of my head. I nearly screamed as I found myself face to face with deep, chocolate eyes that were staring at me in earnest. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance and anger; how dare this smug bastard kidnap me and then stare at me like I was some sort of crippled invalid? He seemed a bit taken back by my reaction; he averted his eyes quickly and stood up, putting his hands in the pockets of his 200 dollar fade-out blue jeans while pushing off the hood of his black hoodie, an outfit that seemed so familiar to a part of my brain that was tired, yet restless at the sight of him. He sifted nervously in his black, DC zip up hoodie, looking back down at me every so often, his auburn eyes filled with uncertainty and nervousness.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you going to help me up?" I said, breaking the growing uncomfortable silence that had begun to fill the gap between us. I knew I should be afraid, but I just couldn't be anything but mad; with him standing above me, looking guilty just seemed so right, so familiar. He was nothing like the arrogant SOB that would taunt me every morning though; the man before me now was more like a pre-pubescent high schooler, asking out a girl for the first time. He looked back down at me and then bent over, gathered up the sheets around me and picked me up bridal style. His arms were strong and his scent the same as the gilded eyed stranger who had saved my life; I wrapped my bare arms around his neck, the sheet falling down to my chest, revealing just a hint of my somewhat impressive cleavage. He stiffened a bit as I clung to him, and blushed underneath his tanned skin as he caught a glimpse of my bare chest and teasing cleavage. His hair was long and fell around his shoulders, tickling my face. I giggled and I heard his heart skip a beat at the sound of my laughter; I looked up at him and saw that he was rigid, his eyes staring straight ahead and his jaw clenched tight. I was surprised more than words can describe, I surely thought that he would be drooling over my half naked frame, which was in his arms and at his mercy. Instead, he was acting as if I had a gun to his and had already pulled the trigger. He placed me gingerly on the bed, as if I would break if he didn't take the up most care in my handling, and stiffly turned around, making to leave the room.

"Wait, at least tell me your name," I said as I grabbed his wrist. He was almost to fast, pulling his wrist back as I went for it, but his reflexes were just a split second to slow. My fingers tightened around his wrist, and I felt cold metal against my palm. His eyes bore into me as a small shock radiated up my arm and my fingers loosened enough for him to move out of my grasp; I looked at my palm and saw a small mark, like that of a crescent moon. He must have saw fear in my eyes for he knelt beside the bed and took my hand in his, palm up; his eyes grew soft as he saw the mark, but then his face went pale and he immediately let me go, standing up faster than my eyes could see.

"You have to leave now. Get dressed and go," he said, pointing briefly to the large double door closet, and then he was gone, the heavy oak doors closing behind him. I sat there; I was completely dumbstruck about what had just taken place. Perhaps it was the mark that startled him, but it wasn't like it was anything knew; I had had that mark since as long as I could remember, and my mother said it was a gift from the gods. My anger grew and I nearly screamed as my frustration at this bizarre situation grew past the boiling point; I threw one of the silver pillows over my face and screamed. When I felt better, I stalked over to the closet, testing my legs first to make sure I wouldn't collapse again; grabbing the handles to throw open the massive closet doors, I froze. As soon as my hands wrapped around the solid, silver handles, a revelation of sorts stole my vision. Letting go of the handles quickly, I turned and found myself in a forest at the most beautiful dusk I had ever seen. The trees broke the dying sunlight into millions of brilliantly colored, luminescent jewels that danced across my skin and the lake in front of me. I felt happier than I ever had and closed my eyes, basking in the warm, pinpoint rays of sun. I knew someone was watching me from the growing shadows of the trees, and so I stopped and looked into the dense tree line; I saw those gilded, honey eyes watching me in earnest, the gaze deep and penetrating. My stranger walked out of the trees and my breath caught in my throat; he was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. His flowing white hair blew gently in the breeze, causing his equally fair colored dog ears to twitch slightly as they listened to the whispers of the wind. His face was solemn, but his eyes were soft as they looked at me; into me. His movements were fast, yet graceful; he was at my side faster than I could blink, his strong hands wrapped around my waist.

"You didn't have to wish on it, you could have kept it safe. Why would you use it?" I asked, but my words were not my own. Though they came from my mouth, the words came from a part of me that had been sleeping for many, many years. His eyes turned downcast, the light shinning off his ashen mane reflected off the thin, golden chain that lay across my chest; the heart shaped locket at the end of the chain came to rest between my breasts. He traced the heart shape with his long, sharp claws gently, as to not cut me. His touch sent tremors of pleasure through me, and I saw him grin, exposing one of his ivory white fangs. He looked into my russet eyes and I looked back into his light caramel ones, still waiting for an answer.

"I had to. What is eternal life without someone to share it with?" he said, his voice quivering just the slightest. A smile graced my delicate features, and I brought a hand to his face, my fingertips tracing his strong cheekbones lightly. He closed his eyes and sighed almost silently as I began to rub the tip of his soft, snow colored ear. He reached up and wrapped his long, strong fingers around mine and brought my hand to my side, our fingers still entwined. I looked into those gorgeous, familiar eyes and felt so at peace lost in the sun colored orbs of the hanyuo before me.

"After all the times you swore on your life that you would use it to turn yourself, when you're presented with the opportunity, you use it on me. Why?" I asked. Though the answer was obvious, I needed to hear it from him, to make sure that it was true and that I wasn't willing myself to believe that it could really be. His huffed and looked up, his eyes narrowed in annoyance; he didn't want to say it and he knew I was going to make him. I rolled my eyes and placed a lingering kiss on his slightly parted lips; he blushed redder than his kimono, and turned his head away, staring into the setting sun.

"Because, after all the years we've been together; fighting both youkia and each other, I've….I've…Christ! Don't you remember my marks!" he said as he grabbed my hand and turned it palm up, exposing the small, crescent moon. He also traced a small, matching moon on my neck, one I had never really noticed before. My eyes grew wide and I looked at him; my words had escaped me and my eyes begged for the answer my heart ached for.

"I love you, that's why!" he finally said. Tears filled my eyes and I threw my arms around him, my salty emotions falling down my cheeks and onto his neck. He stiffened and then squeezed me tight, murmuring his love for me over and over.

"What did you wish," I whispered as the sun set and my stranger began to change beneath my grasp. As his white mane turned to silky, raven strands and his honey eyes became the color of coffee, he whispered his wish of me, to me.

"I wished that you'd live. That you'd live and be happy; with or without me."

* * *

"InuYasha," I whispered to the large, empty room around me. I heard my voice answer me as it echoed off the sanded, stone walls of my chamber. I let go of the silver handles and felt the wetness of my tears on my face. My hands were shaking as I wiped the tears and sweat away and smiled; how long had it been since I had truly smiled? Four years maybe; ever since I had been sent away from him. He had waited so long for me and I didn't even know it I thought as I shook my head, stopping as my head sent out a warning throb that pounded behind my eyes. I groaned; if he was going to wish for me to live, he could have at least wished for me to keep my memory; he was so dense sometimes. I shook my head and opened the closet and stood there for a second, awe-struck at the overwhelming size of it. It was more like a warehouse than a walk in wardrobe, but then again, I was in InuYasha's house, and nothing was as it seemed when you had friends like mine. Sorting through the warehouse of kimonos of every color, design, and shape, I nearly lost myself many times in the vast, silk filled space; finally settling on a royal blue kimono with an open, tie up back and a silver obi, I marveled at my selection with pride. It was short and showed off my long, battered legs, but I didn't care, and I'm sure he didn't either; tying the bow against my back and then tying up my hair, making sure to be gentle around my bandage, I walked into the larger than life hallway and set out to find my hanyuo. After all the long mornings of him stalking me and me cursing his soul in return, I felt the need to simultaneously punch him and smother him with my mouth; I would have run right into him if he hadn't put out a hand so I could run face first into his palm instead. Rubbing my nose as he looked me over, I stared at him, trying not to gawk; he hadn't changed a bit. He was still extremely tall and thin, yet one could see the toned figure that lay underneath the expensive, black Armani suit he wore. His long, white hair was tied back and his auric eyes stared at me with the only emotion, besides stone cold, I had ever seen; pure boredom. His turned his purple striped face from me, pointing towards the door in front of him as his phone rang.

"Thanks Sesshomaru," I mumbled under my breath as I walked over to the door with my head down. I could hear the person on the other end rambling away, and I knew that Sesshomaru was probably fantasizing about scenarios in which to kill them in the most painful, gruesome ways he could think of. I opened one of the wood doors, skirted in, and closed it behind me as quickly as my arms could pull. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and leaned against the thick door; even though Sesshomaru had been on our side before the defeat of Naraku, he was still rather scary. I sighed again and pushed myself off the door, looking around the room I was in; it was another bedroom, this one was even bigger then mine was, though. The ceiling was high and had a huge, glass chandelier that hung low from it. The room was painted a crimson red with the ceiling trim painted a shimmering gold; the bed in the middle of the room was huge, larger than any California King I had ever seen, and it looked like it hadn't been made in months. The gold sheets were tangled and hanging and the crimson colored pillows were thrown haphazardly on the bed and on the floor next to it. Other than the bed, there was really nothing else; except the sword. Its rusty blade and tattered handle were all too familiar to me, as it hung there above the fireplace that took up most of the side wall. The fires licked at the large, grey stones that constructed the arch of the mouth, and as I walked to it, I could feel the heat brush against my skin and blow threw my hair gently.

"_**Tessaiga**_," I whispered to myself as I stood on my bare tip toes, my fingers gripping the top ledge of the cold stone for leverage. My fingertips brushed the handle and then ran across the rusted blade; I could feel the tingle of power than ran through it as my fingers traced the dull curve of the blade.

"Ow," I hissed as the dull edge still managed to cut open my finger. I let go of the ledge, dropped back down onto my heels, and stuck my bleeding, pointer finger into my mouth, cursing myself and my stupidity. Who in their right mind runs their fingers over the edge of a sword, dull or not; apparently I did. I could taste the warm, metallic flavor of my blood as it flowed from the cut in the pad of my finger. I was still cursing myself when I felt someone breathing on my neck suddenly. My heart simultaneously stopped and galloped at light speed; I squeaked in surprise and jumped forward, spinning around quickly to face the person who had royally scared the crap out of me. It was my gilded eyes stranger. He was standing behind me, his chest bare with sweat rolling off its toned, muscular surface as he panted heavily. I could see that his arms were also well built as his hands curled into fists; I could sense his anger in the air and see it in his burning, deep halcyon eyes. His ashen hair was tied back with a thick piece of rawhide and his ears twitched repeatedly in annoyance. I opened my mouth to speak, but his voice cut me off abruptly.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you that you had to leave," he said, his voice low and heavy. I looked past him and saw that he had come through a hidden door of sorts that apparently opened up into a sparing room. The smell of sweat, anger, and must filled my nose and my eyes started to water. No wonder he wore such heavy cologne, I thought. His eyes narrowed even more, until they were just slits in a face that was dangerous and testy. I took my bleeding finger from my mouth and rolled my eyes.

"Well, as far as I can remember, _**YOU**_ haven't told me anything. It was that pretty faced, black haired boy that told me I had to leave, and you definitely aren't any black headed, pretty boy," I said, my voice taunting him. His eye twitched and his jaw worked as he tried to think of something to say, but then his face became slack and he looked straight at me and then at my hand which I was holding. Once again, in one swift movement that was faster than any human could have moved, he was at my side and holding my finger; he saw the blood that wound down my finger and dripped to the floor and I saw him curse under his breath. I was more than surprised when he stuck my finger in his mouth and sucked on it; I was too shocked to pull away and just let him do whatever he was doing. After about a minute, he removed my finger and I saw that not only had my finger stopped bleeding, but that the deep cut was gone; all that was left was a thin white scar which was barely visible. I looked up at him and he looked back at me and we stared at each other for what seemed like hours; then I punched him square in the chest. He actually doubled back and then looked at me, clearly astonished that not only had I punched him, but that I had actually caught him off guard. I finally let my anger fill me, and I curled my hands into fists until my long fingernails bit into the soft skin of my palms.

"What is wrong with you? Do you go around punching the people who save your life?" he said, his voice high and annoyed. He rubbed the red spot that had formed on his chest and looked at me, his eyes wide and less angry than I had anticipated.

"Only you, you damned fool! After all this time and all the mornings you spent taunting me in your expensive cars, and now this? God damn it InuYasha, seriously?" I said, my breathing becoming heavier and soon I was panting as heavily as he was when he confronted me. I had never seen him look so confused, and scared; his eyes were wide and his face had become nearly the color of his hair. I stood there, biting my inner cheek as I waited for him to say something, anything; of course, it never really came and oh how I wished that he was still wearing the charm necklace. All he could manage were a few umm's and uhhh's as he rubbed the back of his head obsessively. I gritted my teeth, dropped my head and walked right up to him; I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, but I knew I had to do something. He stopped fidgeting and mumbling just enough for me to press myself up against him, wrap my long arms around his neck, and place my warm, wet lips on his. His body went rigid like my lips were electric; but it took him no time at all to lift me off my feet and hug my body tightly against his. It felt so good to be back in his arms and I griped his neck tighter, bringing his lips harder down on mine; I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him deeper, running my tongue across his fangs. I could feel the rumbling deep in his chest as one of his hands grabbed a handful of my hair as he wound his fingers through it, while the other began to caress my bottom, his long claws brushing against the bare skin of my inner thigh. I could feel a hot blush spike my cheeks and I quickly pulled away; his honey gold eyes looked at me, dazed and a bit puzzled. I smiled and put my forehead against his as I unwrapped one of my arms from around his neck and placed it on his hand that was resting on my ass. Not only could I see the blush that had sprouted on his face, but I could feel the heat against my forehead; I grinned and kissed his lips gently.

"See, that's what happens when I'm not around; you spend way to much time with Miroku," I said as I pulled away and giggled. He frowned slightly and huffed as he put me down gently; as soon as my toes touched the cool hardwood, he was in the bathroom. I could hear the water running and as I made my way over to the slightly ajar door, the red sparing pants he had had on landed on the floor at my feet. I pursed my lips and crossed my arms, irritated that he had striped when I was obviously going to follow him wherever he went.

"You did that in purpose didn't you?" I called over the running shower water. There was nothing but the sound of the water and his humming. I knew he was doing this purposely; it was as if nothing had even happened. I mean, I've just remembered the missing years of my life, my death, and now he was acting as if Kikyo had never killed me and he had never wished on the Shikon; but that's a whole other story for a whole different day. I bit my tongue hard, breathed in deeply, and walked right into the steamy bathroom. The bathroom itself was almost as big as the bedroom; it had a walk in shower with a frosted glass door, a Jacuzzi style tub, a scarlet toilet and a large, full length mirror set next to a large, gold sink with a touch faucet. What was the most astonishing, yet beautiful thing, was the Zen garden that lay behind a Japanese paper screen. It was large and had a mini waterfall, plowed sand fields, and at the center was a medium sized, black Zen house with all open walls. It faced the large, smooth rock wall of the waterfall, and, upon that surface, was painted a life sized, cherry pink Jasmine flower. Its petals were wet with waterfall dew and its small stem rose from the sandy, soil base of the rock. I walked over to the painting and ran my fingers over the sleek surface; it was beautiful and I felt tears prick my eyes as I remembered our last time together, as he held my dying frame in his arms; he had called me his Jasmine flower.

"Do you like it?" his voice from behind me whispered. I did not jump; I only nodded my head, never taking my eyes off the breath taking sight in front of me. His hands gripped my shoulders and I brought my hands to rest upon his; his even, steady breath and my heartbeat were in tune as we stood there in a scenic silence.

"Why?" I finally asked, turning my head so that I could look into his flaxen eyes; I saw that they seemed heavy and sad, but as he looked down at me, into my eyes, the shine that I first fell so hard in love with, returned.

"It was for you. When you…left, I felt as if a part of me had left with you. I made this garden, in all its beauty, as a reflection of all the beauty you possessed; inside and out. The flower," he said, his voice growing softer, "this is what I always thought you would become after life; what your soul would look like. A beautiful, mystical flower that no man could touch," he said as he walked from behind me and placed a hand on one of the large, painted pink petals. I felt the dam break behind me eyes as a steady stream of tears fell from behind my deep, brown eyes; as soon as the first tear fell he was holding me in his strong embrace, running his claws through my thick, ebony hair.

"Why are you crying, did I say something wrong?" he asked as he brushed away my tears gently. I shook my head and pushed away from him. He seemed hurt as I turned my back and threw my hands over my face in frustration. First he acts as if nothing had ever changed, and now he gets all sappy? It wasn't fair, he needed to decide what the fuck he was going to feel and do; it was becoming too much for me to deal with. I turned towards him, tears still staining my face as I balled my fists, clenched my jaw and worked up the nerve to tell him.

"First you act like I've had my memory this entire time and you never sent me back home without it, now you act so sad and sappy. What the fuck InuYasha? Make up your mind, because you're not making this any better for me! I don't know what you feel, and so I don't know what I should feel!" I cried as dropped to my knees, the warm sand cushioning my fall. I went limp as he came to my side and held me against him, his heart beating rapidly against his ribs as I rested my head against chest. He cradled my body in his arms as he leaned against the tepid and smooth surface of the Jasmine flower's rocky canvas; my body and mind were weak and I knew I could no longer fight him, because, perhaps it wasn't worth fighting for anymore.

"I just don't know what to do, Kagome. It's been only 4 years for you, but for me, it's been over 500. When I first saw you driving on that highway, it was by accident, but I knew that from that day on, I would be there every morning so that I could see your face. When that sinkhole opened and you went down into it, I flashed back to when I first saw you dying in front of me and there was nothing I could do to save you. So I jumped in after you, but in the process of pulling you from the car, my Kakusu Seishin charm came off; that's why when you came too, you saw me as I really am, not as what I show the world, and I hoped you wouldn't remember. I brought you here, had my maids clean you, dress your wounds, and lay you in Sesshomaru's spare room where I waited until you woke to make sure you were truly OK. When you woke up and I saw the mark, I freaked. Then you come in here and you're all better all of a sudden? I just didn't know what to do. Look, I'm sorry; I would never purposely harm you in any way. That InuYasha died when you left. I'm a new person, so to say," he said, his voice never growing above a light whisper into my ear. I raised my head and looked into his eyes as I had done so many times before, except this time I was no longer afraid to tell him what I had been so many years ago.

"When I touched the locket you wear around your wrist, I felt a shock run through me, and when I grabbed the handles that used to be part of your fathers great castle, I guess I completed some sort of 'spiritual circuit' and I had a vision of us in your forest. You told me you used the Shikon to save me instead of yourself. No matter how far we are from each other or what comes between us, we always find our way back to each other. I love you InuYasha, and I have from the day I met you; until the day I laid, dying in your arms and even now, I loved and do love you. I don't know if the old InuYasha felt the same, but I would like to know what the new one thinks," I said, watching as his cheeks filled with color. He looked away quickly and I felt my heart drop to my stomach were I hoped the acids would eat away at it, killing the pain I felt.

"The old InuYasha was a fool, but I'm not. As you slipped away from me and I had my hands on the jewel, I knew that I had to save you; I couldn't let my selfishness kill you, I would never forgive myself or be able to live without you. I love you Kagome and always have, no matter what stupid things I say or do, I love you" he said quietly as he looked sheepishly back down at me. I felt a smile twitch at the corners of my mouth, but I held it back.

"You could have said that while I was tangled in your arms back in the bedroom. I mean, if you were really glad to see me, you could have thrown me down on that bed and showed me how much you missed me," I said, making to get up and stretch my aching legs. They were throbbing and protesting the awkward position that I had collapsed in; I had barely made it to my feet when I felt his strong arms under my knees as he swept me off my feet. I found myself clinging onto his neck again and as I always did, found myself looking into his golden orbs; they had a mischievous glint to them and I knew what he meant to do, especially when I felt one of his hands slide up from the back of my knee, up my kimono. My face went from its usually milky color, to one of fire red as I felt his claws brush the bare skin of my ass; the endless closet in Sesshomaru's spare room may have had a kimono warehouse, but it unfortunately didn't have an endless supply of panties, or any panties at all. He saw my blush and blushed in response, but kept his hand were it was, letting me know his intentions hadn't changed.

"I was really only kidding InuYasha. I mean, I've never done… _**it**_, before," I said, my voice shaking in fear, but also in anticipation; I wanted him more than any words could describe, and with his hands on me, my body was screaming for more. I was still afraid, because well, I really had never done this before and it was InuYasha after all; he wasn't what you would call human. So, I was a bit apprehensive about what it was going to be like, but the more I thought about it, the more my fear faded and was replaced by a burning desire to kiss the bare skin on every inch of him. He must have seen and felt the change in me; perhaps he saw how my eyes were half closed, but were directed on him with severe intensity. It may have even been he felt the growing heat of my skin, as I became more and more in tune with the idea of interweaving myself with him. I could feel his heart pound violently against his ribs as I placed small kisses on his chest; his gripped loosened on me and I took the opportunity to pull myself up on his neck, slid my legs through his arms, and wrap them around his waist. I pushed myself roughly into his groin and I felt his growing excitement push back; his low, deep moan and a resonant rumbling from within his chest filled my ears as I kissed his neck while rubbing his pointy, white ear simultaneously. His arms pressed me against him as his lips met mine for the second time this night; my body seemed to explode as our lips crashed against each others and his tongue grappled with mine, his taste making my tongue tingle and my brain go numb. I felt him stumble out of the Zen garden and into the bedroom which was soaked in the glow of the large half moon that decorated the sky. The silk sheets of his bed caressed the bare skin of my legs and ass; my kimono had slid up slightly in the back as he laid me down in front of him, and as I looked up at him from my place on the bed, I saw that his breathing was heavier than before and his eyes were tinted a deep red. This is what I had feared, deep in the corners of my mind; his two sides were fighting over me and I knew I had to try and stop it, and if not, maybe even mediate it. I got on my knees and placed a hand delicately on his face; his eyes snapped to attention and I saw that although the red hadn't spread, the slightest hints of those tell tale purple stripes had begun to break the surface of his fair skin. It was now or never.

"InuYasha, I know you want me; I know _**both**_ of you want me, and I want all of you. But, none of you can get me until you come to an, agreement, of sorts. Understood?" I said softly, and I saw that both of his sides were slightly curious, though still burning with hormonal intentions. I smiled and began to undo my silver obi, letting it slide off my small waist; his breath hitched for a few seconds as I untied my kimono, letting it fall around my shoulders, exposing the smooth top skin of my breasts. He made to move towards me, but I put out a hand to stop him, shaking my head slowly.

"You haven't come to an agreement yet. Either you work it out so both of you can have me at the same time, or nobody gets any of this," I said, and to accentuate it, I reached up with one of my hands and undid my hair, letting more of my kimono fall, covering only my nipple on my right side. My long, silky black hair fell around my shoulders and past my breasts; I let go of my kimono and felt it slide down to my curvy waist, letting it rest on my hips. I knew I was playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with him, but I had no other choice in my head. He moaned loudly as I kneeled there on my knees, waiting for him, my hair covering my supple breasts and my kimono barely hiding the rest of my womanhood; his jaw worked and his body trembled as he tried to work it out within himself. Finally, he clenched his fists until scarlet blood dripped in rivulets from them, and I saw the violet stripes of his bloodline appear on his face. They twisted around his arms, disappearing behind his shoulders as they simultaneously spread to each one of his fingers, which were still clenched tightly into his palms. His face was contorted with pain and my heart was going cold with fear; had his demon side truly won the battle? His golden eyes on me abruptly stopped my chain of thought as I stared at his still changing features; his eyes hadn't changed, but his signature ears had shriveled up and were replaced by ears very similar to Sesshomaru's, almost human like, but slightly pointed at the top. Not only that, but his white, tangled mane grew longer and became like white silk as it flowed past and around his shoulders delicately; he had also grown at least a good foot taller, for I could hear his bones breaking and creaking as his shadow spread further across the reaches of the room; his normal claws had grown into deadly, curved talons as he flexed his fingers, and I watched the talons grow and curve in a most painful serious of cracks and deep grunts. He dug his new talons into his palms as he had once done with his normal claws, and I could have sworn that he was clenching so hard, that they should have skewered his hands; but finally, upon his smooth brow, two, nearly interlocking duke blue crescent moons took residence, accenting his new, even more stunning features. I stared in disbelief as his panting figure stood before me, waiting for a response or anything at all to show that he had done the right thing. I knew that his features had changed, but what of his personality; what of his heart? As if he were reading my mind - which I wouldn't doubt - he smiled and knelt before me, taking one of my delicate hands in his, placing a small kiss on the smooth pallid skin of my knuckles. I blushed deeply, not really knowing why I had, but not being able to stop it.

"You said that we had to come to an agreement, so we did. My youkia part has taken over my body, its power is now surging through my veins, but my heart and mind remain human; they remain the old InuYasha. It will feel all that I feel and know all that I know, but I will be in control from now on," he said softly, his breathtaking flaxen eyes on me. He placed a single hand on my cheek, and I could feel the heat from him caressing my already blush warmed skin; his eyes scanned my features, hoping that my slack, fading pink face would give him a hint to what in the world I was thinking. I raised a shaky hand to his face and placed it on his cheek, half expecting to feel the deep violet stripes pulsate against my skin as if they were alive, and not merely a bloodline signature. I raised another shaky hand to the hand that rested on my face, tracing the long fingers that rested on my cheek; my vision was just as shaky as my hands and my eyes kept wandering from his beautiful face to the rest of him. I knew he felt my eyes on him, as well as saw me tracing his features with my eyes, and a small smile graced his god like features. I blushed like mad and turned my eyes downcast for I couldn't bare his gaze; it felt like the gaze of an angel and I couldn't bring myself to meet it. His lips on mine melted away all of my apprehension and I felt myself being eased onto my back, my hair and kimono falling away from my body; I saw his eyes drinking in my virgin frame and as he did, his breathing became a light pant as he smashed his lips against mine, smothering me with his tongue and his intoxicating scent. The feel of his soft skin against mine sent waves of sensual heat through me that was nearly matched by the heat of his skin. As we tangled each others fingers through one another's hair, and tangled our bodies together in ways that only the imagination of a Kama sutra artist could conjure up, I knew that we would never again be apart. We had become one in the same, a fate that could never be escaped and had transcended centuries to be fulfilled.

* * *

As I lay there with my head on the solid surface of his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, I found myself being lulled into a blissful sleep by the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed away in a light sleep. I scooted closer and turned my head up to look onto the face of the man only my dreams had held for many, many years. I brushed wayward strands of his silvery, white hair from his face and he huffed and drew me closer, his golden eyes opening only slightly so that he could look down at me; he frowned slightly as he sat up with his head against the large, hand carved wood headboard.

"Why are you still awake? I thought for sure you'd be exhausted," he said sounding a bit disappointed. I giggled and kissed his lips gently; curiosity lit up his already glowing amber eyes as I laid my head on his chest once again.

"I am exhausted. It's been a long day, with a _**very**_ happy ending," I said, emphasizing as much as I could how much of a happy ending he had made it not more than an hour ago. I felt his chest swell and I could just imagine the smug smile that was playing across his lips as I lay there, once again being lulled to sleep by his steady breathing. I soon found myself in a light sleep, barely conscious, but aware enough to hear him snore lightly as he fell into a deep, sure to be blissful sleep. I felt a small smile play on my lips as I lay there in the arms of the one thing, one person, who had done and would continue to do anything to keep me safe and breathing; the one person whose love for me would never die, even if we did. As a dark blanket of sleep enveloped my thoughts, a final, fading thought broke the surface of the tranquil waters of sleep that closed the final chapter of our long saga. I hated him, know I loved him, but, perhaps the two were _**always **_one in the same.


End file.
